Monday, March 7, 2016

Saved: Shattered Like An Empty Cup

Released June 23, 1980

In contrast to the fire and brimstone exuberance of Slow Train Coming, Saved offered quiet and meditative musings on faith. "A Satisfied Mind" and "Saved" are straight up gospel one might hear in a revival tent. The meditative "Covenant Woman" carries a quiet eloquence with a stripped down production. "What Can I do For You" expresses gratitude to God for finding peace. "Solid Rock" blends gospel with rock and roll. The next two tracks are among Dylan's best during this period: "Pressing On" and "In the Garden." Even the most most hard headed non-believer would be moved by the soaring gospel of "Pressing On." "In the Garden" is a passionate song on Christ and the Resurrection that builds to a soaring crescendo. "Saving Grace" and "Are you Ready" bring Saved to a spirited conclusion. Dylan's band and backup singers performed brilliantly in one of his most optimistic albums, achieving a sense of peace and tranquility. Although Saved is often relegated to a minor work in his catalog, it stands as a poignant testament of Dylan during a fascinating time in his career.

'Saved' is massively underrated. I think its main problem for its critics is the continuing Christian lyrical content but musically it is pretty faultless. There have been many gripes about the production, which is possibly a little muted and may be more of a mix issue than anything else (remix, anyone?), but the over all power stands, for me. Too much prejudice is thrown Dylan's way for this whole period of his career when people should just listen.

Thank you for the comment! I agree, a remix would would be great. I've always considered this era a crucial one in Dylan's career. And yet critics and many fans prefer to skip it. The culture at large remains fixated on 65-66 Dylan.

Along with Street Legal and Hard Rain, Saved is clearly one of Dylan's most underrated albums. The original cover was off-putting to many, but it is the music that matters. The songs and performances are quite impressive. A remix would indeed be welcome. The Toronto 1980 concert is said to be part of the archives to be housed in Tulsa. Here's hoping this tremendous concert gets the deluxe Bootleg Series treatment someday.